Master Mola Makers

 After a morning of island exploration and snorkeling, we were preparing to sail on to our next destination, and in a hurry so that we could navigate through the reefs in good light. 

Reef and Island in the San Blas: Exploration Heaven

There's a crab on a rock, in a hole, in a log, on a beach, on an island, in the middle of the sea.
There's a bug, on a crab, on a rock...Oh never mind.

As we were rushing around preparing to pick up the anchor, a large ulu with two people in it approached.  I groaned inwardly. Here in the San Blas Islands -the Kuna Yala- we often get visiting ulus (dugout canoes) to our boat while at anchor.  Most of the time it’s someone offering something for sale: fish, lobster, soda, or molas.   I figured I’d be as polite as possible, but would try to shoo the ulu off quickly so that we could move on.   

Let me introduce myself....Venancio: Master Mola Maker

As the ulu drew up, two men were aboard and the guy in front handed me a business card which read: "Venencio, Master Mola Maker".   Huh.  Venancio.  A man?  Most molas are made by women, but then I remembered reading that in the Kuna society there are many cross-dressing men who make and sell molas.   Being trans, gay or living an "alternate lifestyle" seems to carry no stigma among the Kuna.  

Lisa, the famous trans mola maker.

 I had heard about “Lisa”, perhaps the most famous trans person in the Kuna Yala, known for her very fine mola artistry.  

Venencio, with a piece of his mola art.  

Venancio's card said “Master Mola Maker”, and that was clearly true.  A well made mola will have many layers of cloth, intricately cut and sewn designs and details, traditional designs are usually geometric or of animal motifs and are often symmetrical and mirror imaged from side to side.  And if one looks at the back side, the smaller and neater the stitching, the better.

Swallow Mola, front.  Symetrical, mirror-imaged, traditional fauna design.

Back side of the swallow mola.  Note the fine, precise stitching.

I’ve seen a lot of molas, but NONE as finely crafted, delicately sewn, and beautifully designed as Venancio’s work.  And he had hundreds.  

Venancio displays a few of the hundreds of pieces he has created.

Mucho Molas

We held court with Venancio for almost two hours and bought six molas, spending more money (and time!) than we had intended.  Venancio is proud of his work and demands a fairly high price for them.  But I love fine folk art, and to me these pieces were worth every penny.  

Mulling molas: difficult decision making.

We finally said goodbye to Venencio and his ulu driver, picked up anchor and headed off to our next stop a few miles up the road.  Our anchor had just barely settled in the sand when a panga approached.  And as the boat pulled up alongside,  it turned out to be none other than the infamous Lisa.  

One of Lisa's intricate molas.  On top is a Kuna woman and child.
Bottom is King Soloman, splitting the baby.
Lisa is peeking thru on the left.

Her card read, "Mola Lisa - Master Mola Maker".  And of course, I couldn't resist her fine work either.   I bought a mola from her, too.

Medicine Woman, by "Master Mola Maker" Lisa

Our ever growing Mola collection.